How can traffic data collection reduce traffic gridlock in British cities?

We’ve been reflecting on the success of our recent round of annual road safety Roadshows across the UK, and came across stories recently concerning the ongoing and worsening traffic gridlock in London throughout this year and what’s predicted for 2015.

The subject of traffic decongestion is one that we covered in some depth during our annual Roadshows, and some of our insights could be useful in highlighting how traffic data collection can be used to reduce traffic gridlock in British cities.

Although the Media tend to focus on traffic congestion and worsening road gridlock issues in London, we should widen this out to cities in general not just specifically our capital city, it’s worth remembering that traffic levels have grown by 84% since 1980 from 172 to 318 billion vehicle miles.

For example, the Eddington report predicts growth of car traffic by 30% (from 2006) to 2025 (source DfT – Roads, Delivering Choice and Reliability)

Another concerning statistic is the cost of congestion, which could waste an extra 22 billion worth of time each year in England and increase costs to businesses by over 10 billion a year.

The Top traffic decongestants that we are able to assist with include:

Continued and wider use of Adaptive Traffic Signal controls such as MOVA and SCOOT:

• • • Our M100 wireless vehicle detection system provides accurate and cost effective vehicle detection especially where advanced detection from the stop line is required by such systems

Safer urban cycling infrastructure, to further promote modal shift:

• • • Increase safety at signalised junctions (currently 75% of all serious cycling accidents on or near junctions
    • Addition of dedicated cycling signals or phases at junctions requires accurate detection of cycles
    • Our M100BR sensor can provide accurate detection to ensure the overall efficiencies of adaptive junction controls can be maintained

Smarter Parking:

• • • 30% of urban congestion caused by space hunting
    • Better provision of information to drivers of available spaces, by Apps, signage or integration with sat nav systems
    • Our M300 bay monitoring systems can provide real time information on space availability for on and off street open air parking
    • Reduces congestion and therefore emissions whilst increasing safety as drivers are no longer concreting of looking for spaces rather than other road users

To find out more about our traffic data collection solutions, please get in touch.